To date, power has resided with states to bar out-of-state physicians from consulting patients through telemedicine, which uses telecommunications to connect patients with providers dozens, if not hundreds of miles away.

States regulate the licensing of medical professionals, but courts have held that out-of-state telemedicine professionals meet the same standards as those licensed within the state.

Medical groups, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and state physician societies, have opposed the interstate licensure of physicians, saying states have a right to determine that providers meet certain standards. But telemedicine backers say those groups are only protecting their financial interests and are not interested in increasing patient access to care.

"At the end of the day, the AMA and the [Federation of State Medical Boards] have to stop saying they're studying the issue -- which is all they've been saying for as long as I've been doing this [for] 20-plus years -- and suggest a way to license doctors," Neuberger said. "It all comes down to economics."

There are a handful of bills filed in Congress that would address this issue, but all have had a tough time gaining traction.

One such bill, H.R. 3077 the TELE-MED Act of 2013, is backed by former nurse Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.). Ellmers staffer Mitch Vakerics said during a panel at the HIMSS conference that the issue of telemedicine mostly comes down to state licensing because many payers, including Medicare, are increasingly reimbursing for telemedicine services.

"We're going to have to get involved to have a law that's a little more updated," Vakerics said.